Jodhpur Purva tied the knot with her long-time beau Rahul. The Wedding Planner tells us about her last assignment- planning her own wedding in her home town Jodhpur.

Purva Bohra, a CA by qualification and a Wedding Planner (she and her father run Perfexion Events Company, Jodhpur) wed Rahul Mehta, an MBA graduate and hotelier. Rahul and Purva were both born and brought up in Jodhpur. They went to the same school and met through Rahul's younger brother, who was Purva's classmate. Recalls Purva: "We met, started talking, clicked, and what followed was a decade long romance before we got engaged on my birthday last year (11th January 2014). And yes, I planned my own fairy-tale wedding in Jodhpur."

The Venues

Purva and Rahul did toy with the idea of getting married in other places, but Jodhpur ended up being their first choice: "People from all over the world come to get

married here so why would we go outside? So our wedding planning started with deciding on the venues. We reviewed all the grandest venues in the city and decided on four different properties- Indana Palace, ITC Hotel, Hotel Pratap Niwas Jhalamand and Bal Samand Lake Palace. We chose Indana for guests to stay at, as it is centrally located near all the other venues. We also loved their palatial spaces, regal charm and the great variety of cuisine they offer. We were already quite familiar with their staff and their warm hospitality always helped us take the decision quickly."

The wedding planners were the bride, her father and their own company, so the stress levels were different-this time they had to live up to their own expectations, not those of others. Says Purva: "We designed everything in a way that was grand yet understated. We invested a lot of time to think about guests conveniences and how to create memorable experiences-and finally everything worked superbly well thanks to the efforts by our family members and the entire team of Perfexion."

The Functions

The wedding festivities started with the Haldi ceremony on the first afternoon, followed by lunch at the groom's residence, and then a Qawaali Night. Says Purva, "The theme for the night was 'Anarkali and Salim' with candles, lanterns and a Mughal-inspired decor."

"It was a fun-filled evening with mesmerizing Sufi music and enchanting Qawalis sung by Devyani Bendre and her group from Mumbai. The guests danced and had a gala evening with a lavish spread of mouth-watering food."

The next afternoon, the sun was beating down, so the Mehndi function was held at Indana's grand indoor banquet hall. It made the ideal backdrop for the 'Tie & Dye' theme event, especially designed for the bride, with contemporary-styled decor and elements. The bride's father handpicked the centrepieces and props used for the entire decor from popular handicraft factories in Jodhpur.

There were family performances along with other several acts by Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi & Mumbai folk artists & singers such as Mehndi songs, Garbha & Dandi, Deepak dance, Kathak kali fusion dance, Raas-Leela and more. The hall sparkled like a yellow sapphire with guests having a great time mingling and enjoying the spread of traditional Rajasthani & Gujarati delicacies, courtesy Indana's culinary team.

Later in the evening, the Sangeet was held at the newly built Hotel Pratap Niwas Jhalamand with 'Vintage' as the decor theme.

The men were dressed in tuxedos and the women in traditional formal attires. The family performed on popular dance numbers and the bride and groom performed a special dance to the song 'Hero' by Enrique.

The baraat and wedding took place the following morning. Says Purva: "Rahul and I wanted a day wedding; we wanted a fresh morning mood for the pure and traditional wedding rituals. It was held at Indana's beautiful outdoor courtyard.

For the baraat, we hired Jea Band who made it memorable for the baraatis with their unstoppable energy and desi tunes. The pheras were organized as 'Musical pheras with Balika Vadhu' where famed Bollywood singer Rekha Rao recited and explained every phera with the help of soul touching mantras and vidai songs.

Post the Pheras, guests were served a lavish and delicious lunch in a typical Rajasthani 'Bajjot & Thaal' set up, amidst melodious live tunes of Sitar, Santoor & Tabla jugal bandi.

An evening Reception was held on the same day, at the lawns of Bal Samand Lake Palace. It was hosted by the Mehta's and the Bohra's for local guests to bless the couple. The decor for the evening included mesmerizing and soothing white elements with intelligent lighting imparting a fairy tale look to the event.

On the last day, says Purva, "we hosted a brunch which started with a performance by Langa & Kalbeliya dancers and then a video which was created as a sweet memory to showcase highlights of the previous three days".

Tips for To-be Weds

Purva says, "Enjoy the biggest day of your life. Even with extensive planning, nothing will ever go perfect or the way you want so relax and spend time with your friends and family who have travelled all the way to make your wedding memorable.

Pamper yourself with the best makeup artist and photographer. Decorations, flowers, food will all be there on the day only, what will remain are beautiful memories of how you looked in the photo books.

For the bride-to-be, don't stress with trying to get a grip on the latest trends. Wear your own style. And just because you are the bride, you don't need to wear clothes that weigh you down. If you can, wear lightweight ensembles and complete the look with glittering or ornate jewellery.